The Departed
by ring of fire
Summary: [Tamers, semi AU] It's been nearly 5 years since they left. The teens once known as the Shinjuku Tamers reflect on their partners. They've mostly moved on, but then they start getting messages from the other side...


A/N: This is the prequel to my triple crossover story Vista, coming soon to this will also be somewhat AU, all connection to Tamers will end when Takato says his final on-screen line. After that all events, including finding a portal to the Digital plane, never happened in this version.

Disclaimer: All characters are copyright to someone other than me, unless stated otherwise.

The Departed 

**June 8 2002 **

**Shinjuku, Japan **

**1423 local time**

Dr. Janyu Wong stood speechless in front of the group of children. He was stunned, speechless, he didn't know what to say, and he probably wouldn't have the time to say it.

Finally he regained his composure, he would have to try to explain it in the best way he could, and he knew it almost certainly wouldn't work, but he had to give it a shot.

"Henry….the whole world was in danger and there was only one way out, we had to take it. Even if it meant losing the Digimon."

The children just stood there, shocked. Their once majestic Digimon now reduced to little creatures the size of soccer balls. They knew something was not right.

"What do you mean lose?!" Ryo Akiyama cried out, his powerful Cyberdramon, now Hopmon, clutched in his hands. "Where are they going?!"

Janyu sighed and tried to explain again. "They have to return to the digital plane, or they'll disappear forever." He cursed himself, he had not meant to be so blunt about it, and he tried consoling the kids. "They were never meant for this world."

Takato Matsuki did not take this well, with tears in his eyes he hung onto Guilmon, now GiGimon, a Digimon he had brought to life, and there was no way in hell he was about to let him go.

"But Guilmon's meant to be with me!" He shouted his voice cracking. "He's a part of me, I promised him we'd always be together!" The tears flowed as he lost control of his emotions. "I promised!" He shouted in vain, knowing that it was falling on ears that could hear, but were connected to hands that could do nothing.

Rika Nonaka was rapidly losing control as well. Known for being ruthless, and cold to those around her, including her Digimon, Renamon, she was now rapidly losing the battle against her tears. She hugged Renamon, now Viximon, close to her, sobbing.

"No, this can't be! I won't let it happen!" Rika sobbed into Viximon's fur, her mind reviewing everything she knew about the Digimon, trying to find a loophole to save her friend, something to hold on to….

"You knew didn't you?!" Henry Wong shouted at his father. "You knew this would happen when you scanned Terriermon!" Tears rolled down his face and onto Terriermon, now a Gummymon, as he held him against his shirt.

Janyu looked down, Henry was right. "I had no other choice" he said regrettably, barley able to face his son. "The fate of the world was at stake! I couldn't let everything and everyone we love be destroyed!" he shouted with emphasis, pleading his case to the jury of children and Digimon that stood before him, hoping he was wrong, hoping there was still some hope…

"Henry?" Gummymon said, his youthful, laid-back voice gone, replaced by an even more childish voice. "Momentai" he said smiling, using their special phrase that was a symbol of the relationship between him and his tamer.

Henry watched as he started to be pulled away from him, back into the digital plane, he tightened his grip. "Terriermon no! Don't go!" he shouted but it was no use, soon he was free, and beyond his reach.

Rika looked into Viximon's eyes, tears flowing. "Renamon, stay! You can fight this can't you?" she pleaded, hoping she could resist, hoping that Dr.Wong was wrong, that she could stay…

"Rika" Viximon's voice had also changed, gone was the mature and slightly accented voice of Renamon, replacing it was a younger voice, but still reassuring "I know we'll see each other again someday." And she too started to be pulled away from Rika.

"No, Renamon please!" Rika shouted as her partner left her. "I love you!"

Rika could not believe she said that afterwards, after being so cold to Renamon, and she also wondered if she had even heard it.

Takato was hanging onto Gigimon as he was pulled away, holding on so tightly in fact that Takato was now suspended in the air, and was liable to be pulled into the digital world as well.

"Guilmon…"

Gigimon smiled down at him "We'll play again soon, won't we Takato?" his voice while still the same, also seemed to be cracking, and Takato later could've sworn there were tears in his eyes.

Takato smiled back at Gigimon through his tears. "Yeah…yeah." He let go of Gigimon, dropping back to the ground as his partner, in more ways than one, floated away from his grasp.

The Digimon floated through the sky and into the wormhole like balloons lost in a summer afternoon, as they vanished from sight and back into the digital plane, their tamers, and friends, said their final goodbyes.

"Guardramon, I love you man!" Kazu Shioda shouted.

"MarineAngemon!" Chimed in Kazu's friend Kenta Kitagawa.

"Bye Cyberdramon!" Called out Ryo.

"Impmon, we'll miss you!" Was chanted by Ai and Mako, the tamers of a Digimon who said he needed no tamer.

"Thank you Calumon!" Jeri Katou shouted, the tamer of a Digimon who made the ultimate sacrifice now said goodbye to her second partner.

"Lopmon! Don't go!" Henry's sister Suzie wailed, once the abuser of Terriermon, she now knew what it was like to lose a friend.

The last 3 Digimon had goodbyes of their own.

"Momentai Henry!" Gummymon shouted, uttering their special word for the last time for a long time.

"Stay strong Rika!" Viximon called, later she would think of something better she should've said.

"Remember Takato! You Promised! You Promised!" Gigimon sounded almost like he was pleading not to be taken away as he uttered his last words in the meatspace plane.

"Takatoooo!"

The children stood under the wormhole, Suzie started sobbing and leaned against Henry.

"Henry, where'd they all go?! I want my Lopmon! I want my Lopmon and Terriermon!"

Henry gently consoled his sobbing sister, feeling the same way. He felt sorry for her, having to deal with the feeling of loss at such a young age, it just wasn't fair.

"Henry" Janyu said, hoping to be able to lift his son's spirits. "I know it hurts now son, but in time it'll get better, you'll see."

Henry Wong looked directly into the eyes of his father, and defiantly shook his head no.

"Oh Henry…" Janyu started to lose his emotional control as he fully too into account the events that had transpired. "I'm sorry…" he fell to his knees sobbing, wishing he had never done this, wishing he could've made it so they wouldn't be sent back, made it so they wouldn't have to go away. "I'm so sorry…"

As the wormhole closed, the tear-faced children and adult looked to where their partners had stood, where they flew, and where they disappeared.

"I promise Guilmon…" Takato said to the sky where his friend has disappeared. "Just you wait…we'll be together again soon."

They all looked to that spot, some still registering the events, some denying them, some accepting.

The truth remained. They were gone, far away, in another universe in fact, and all they could do was hope they would see them again.

Takato looked at his watch.

It was 11:42 on Friday, February 16, 2007.

After returning his senses to reality, he left the spot where they said their final goodbyes to their beloved departed.


End file.
